Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010)

News about Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010), including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 28, 2015

Judge Carl Barbier gives BP 30 days to pay nearly $1 billion in settlements to local governments across Gulf Coast in connection with April 2010 oil spill. MORE

Jul. 11, 2015

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column laments that Takata, company whose faulty airbags have killed at least eight people and wounded over 100, has refused to set up victim compensation fund, opting instead to battle claims in court; holds BP's 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill set poor example, showing big companies frequently make out better in court rather than compensating victims up front. MORE

Jul. 8, 2015

Editorial welcomes provisional $18.7 billion settlement between BP, federal government and Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas for company's role in 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; applauds deal for ending years of legal battles and providing steady source of funding for restoration of coastal environment; urges officials to use money wisely and avoid temptation to divert it to unrelated projects. MORE

Jul. 3, 2015

Gulf states and more than 400 local government entities reach $18.7 billion settlement with BP over 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; settlement, if approved by federal judge, would bring to close largest unresolved legal dispute arising from Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion that left 11 people dead and spewed millions of gallons of oil into the gulf. MORE

Jun. 6, 2015

Federal jury in New Orleans finds former BP executive David Rainey not guilty of making false statements to investigators in connection with 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. MORE

May. 21, 2015

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration study in journal PLoS One finds link between 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and mass dolphin deaths in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi; study has been criticized by BP, which owned well. MORE

May. 21, 2015

Transocean, owner of Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that exploded in 2010, will pay $211 million to businesses and individuals claiming damage from Gulf of Mexico spil; BP settles with Transocean and Halliburton. MORE

Apr. 22, 2015

Editorial underscores damage done to Gulf of Mexico by 2010 BP oil spill and warns of lasting and continuing consequences, despite BP reports suggesting otherwise; points out that spill has yielded some unlikely benefits, including overhaul of drilling regulations and large environmental fund built from BP fines; urges officials to ensure that funds are used to replenish gulf's fragile ecosystem. MORE

Apr. 11, 2015

Interior Dept is planning to announce major new regulation on offshore oil and gas drilling, timed to coincide with five-year anniversary of catastrophic BP oil spill in Gulf of Mexico, which will tighten safety requirements on blowout preventers; BP spill was in part due to malfunction in blowout preventer. MORE

Mar. 3, 2015

Dolphins are dying in large numbers in northern Gulf of Mexico, with 1,308 dead or dying animals discovered since February 2010; some researchers suspect that April 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill has contributed to deaths. MORE

Jan. 21, 2015

BP presents arguments for reducing $13.7 billion in potential fines as next phase begins in trial over 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; contends that ecosystem has not collapsed, citing its mitigation efforts, and argues that fines should take into account company's ability to pay amid collapse in oil prices. MORE

Jan. 16, 2015

Federal Judge Carl J Barbier rules that BP will be held responsible for discharging 3.19 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, figure that will effectively lower ceiling of company's financial liability to $13.7 billion from previous government estimate of $18 billion; Barbier, who notes company's cleanup efforts mean that it should not be held liable for full 4 million that were spilled, does not say how he arrived at figure. MORE

Jan. 10, 2015

Federal appeals court reaffirms its 2014 decision that stated BP cannot avoid Clean Water Act penalties for 2010 oil spill in Gulf of Mexico by faulting another company's equipment. MORE

Nov. 7, 2014

Federal appeals court panel reaffirms its ruling that BP is liable for federal Clean Water Act damages from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; is latest setback for company as it fights court decisions that could bring $18 billion in penalties. MORE

Sep. 25, 2014

Federal District Court Judge Carl J Barbier, at hearing in New Orleans, rejects BP’s request that it be allowed to claw back hundreds of millions of dollars it claims to have overpaid victims of 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill; extra money was paid out under old accounting method. MORE

Sep. 5, 2014

Federal Judge Carl J Barbier rules that BP was grossly negligent in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; ruling opens possibility of $18 billion in new civil penalties for company that has already spent more than $28 billion on damage claims and cleanup costs while maintaining that it was not chiefly responsible for the accident; decision stands as a milestone in environmental law, and serves as warning for oil companies that continue to drill in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. MORE

Sep. 3, 2014

Halliburton has reached $1.1 billion settlement with thousands of businesses, individuals and local governments that suffered losses from 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion; settlement represents small fraction of damages paid out by companies involved in the accident, but goes long way toward resolving Halliburton's exposure to liability claims. MORE

Aug. 2, 2014

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column observes that BP is being targeted by bogus class-action lawsuits in relation to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and has filed motion to take case to Supreme Court; contends that company, initially generous in its compensation, has been forced to protect itself from illegitimate claims, raising question of how much sympathy should be felt for corporations that do enormous damage to environment and people's lives. MORE

Jun. 13, 2014

Judge Stanwood Duval Jr of the Eastern District Court of Louisiana orders new trial for former BP engineer Kurt Mix, who was convicted of deleting text messages relevant to an investigation of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; ruling finds that outside information influenced jury's verdict. MORE

Jun. 10, 2014

Supreme Court rules that BP must continue paying claims from a fund established after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill while the company appeals the terms of its settlement with some businesses. MORE

Jun. 6, 2014

Report from the Chemical Safety Board finds that another disastrous offshore oil well blowout could happen despite regulatory improvements following the 2010 explosion of a BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. MORE

May. 29, 2014

Appeals court panel rules that British oil company BP must resume paying claims to businesses from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill while BP asks Supreme Court to review its settlement. MORE

May. 22, 2014

BP says it will ask Supreme Court to decide whether businesses must prove they were directly harmed by 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill to collect payments from a 2012 settlement. MORE

May. 20, 2014

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals refuses to reconsider earlier decision upholding the process by which BP must compensate businesses claiming damages over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; BP had argued forcefully that settlement was hijacked by corrupt trial lawyers and claims administrators. MORE

May. 6, 2014

Team of scientists studying effect of Deepwater Horizon oil spill on bird populations in Gulf of Mexico estimates that 800,000 birds died in accident, number far higher than 3,000 recovered carcasses; number is based on models using publicly available data and assumes that ocean currents carried most carcasses away from site; BP has disputed number. MORE

Apr. 17, 2014

BP announces it is ending what it terms 'active cleanup' of Louisiana's coast almost four years after Deepwater Horizon oil spill; Coast Guard officials stress that a more narrow cleanup response will continue, with crews remaining on Gulf Coast to respond to new reports of oil, and that responsible party will be held accountable for cleanup costs. MORE

Apr. 17, 2014

Op-Ed article by policy experts S Elizabeth Birnbaum and Jacqueline Savitz charges that Obama administration has taken few steps, in wake of 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in Gulf of Mexico, to prevent similar occurrence in future; holds drilling-related fiasco is likely to reoccur, and that prospect is exacerbated by expansion in offshore drilling and lag in safety technology; calls for increased safety measures and careful consideration of risks. MORE

Mar. 25, 2014

Study by team of marine scientists shows embryos of tuna and amberjack that were exposed to crude oil collected from Deepwater Horizon spill developed heart and other deformities that will likely kill some developing fish and shorten lives of others; findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, will be used in damage assessment against BP. MORE

Mar. 4, 2014

Federal appeals court Judge Leslie H Southwick rules that BP is bound by compensation agreement it signed with regard to 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill and must pay some gulf businesses for economic damage without their having to prove it was caused by the Deepwater Horizon disaster. MORE

Jan. 11, 2014

Federal appeals court upholds Judge Carl Barbier of Federal District Court's approval of company's multi-billion-dollar settlement with lawyers for businesses and residents who claim 2010 oil spill in Gulf of Mexico cost them money; BP has argued that judge had misinterpreted settlement terms in ways that would force it to pay for billions of dollars in inflated or false claims. MORE

Dec. 19, 2013

Kurt Mix, former engineer at BP, is found guilty of obstruction of justice for deleting messages during federal probe into how much oil leaked after Gulf of Mexico rig explosion; he is first of four current or former BP employees charged criminally for actions related to well blowout to be tried and convicted. MORE

Dec. 18, 2013

BP accuses Texas lawyer Mikal C Watts of fraudulently driving up its settlement costs in 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill by claiming to represent tens of thousands of clients who turned out to be 'phantoms.' MORE

Oct. 3, 2013

Federal appeals court orders United States District Court Judge Carl J Barbier to reconsider his interpretation of a settlement with claimants who filed billions of dollars of claims against BP after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster; order is partial victory for oil company. MORE

Sep. 30, 2013

Civil trial of British oil company BP is set to begin its second phase, with billions of dollars in penalties at stake; fines against company hang in the balance, and depend on the level of negligence that is determined and how much oil was spilled in 2010 Deepwater Horizon rig explosion; government will argue 4.2 million barrels of oil was discharged, and BP will counter number was closer to 2.45 million barrels. MORE

Jul. 31, 2013

Op-Ed article by Stephen Teague, staff attorney at the Mississippi Center for Justice, contends that BP is engaged in an aggressive legal and public-relations campaign to limit how much it pays individuals and businesses for losses caused by 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; calls on company to end its stall tactics and keep its promises to people of Gulf Coast. MORE

Jul. 31, 2013

British oil giant BP plans to step up its defense against litigation stemming from 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; company, which continues to endure financial fallout from disaster, says it will not back down against settlement claims it views as false; BP reports weaker-than-expected earnings. MORE

Jul. 30, 2013

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column argues that plaintiff's lawsuit against BP for damages in wake of Gulf of Mexico oil spill is classic example of corrupt mass torts process that benefits lawyers more than any other group; notes company's initial decision to provide direct compensation to victims cut out lawyers altogether, threatening their business model. MORE

Jul. 26, 2013

Halliburton agrees to plead guilty to destruction of critical evidence after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010; oil services company will pay the maximum allowable fine of $200,000 and will be subject to three years of probation. MORE

Jul. 20, 2013

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column scores Louisiana Judge Carl J Barbier for denying BP's request to temporarily halt payments to those affected by 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; argues BP has not been given fair day in court, citing shady backroom dealings among plaintiffs' lawyers that led to $7.8 billion in additional liability for company. MORE

Jul. 12, 2013

BP tells federal appeals court that claims administrator misinterpreted terms of multibillion-dollar settlement reached in 2012 over Deepwater Horizon rig explosion, saying it has led to payouts for exaggerated and even fictitious losses; decision, along with billions in potential fines under Clean Water Act, will have strong impact on company's otherwise successful effort to turn around finances. MORE

Jul. 9, 2013

Joe Nocera Op-Ed column contends BP's effort to compensate victims of 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill has been corrupted by litigators bent on extracting as much money as possible from corporation, with many benefiting who were not affected by spill; warns if BP is not protected from meritless suits, other corporations will think twice before doing the right thing in wake of industrial accidents. MORE

Jun. 26, 2013

BP is placing full-page advertisements in New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, as it mounts aggressive campaign to challenge what could be billions of dollars in settlement payouts to businesses after its 2010 oil spill in Gulf of Mexico; company asserts thousands of claims were for either inflated or nonexistent losses. MORE

Jun. 19, 2013

Op-Ed article by environmentalist Ben Raines proposes that one nickel of every dollar from BP-oil-spill fines be used to buy and protect coastal marshes and wetlands to help the Gulf of Mexico survive the next oil spill. MORE

May. 1, 2013

Louisiana Gov Bobby Jindal says BP has agreed to finance $340 million in restoration projects in Gulf of Mexico, part of $1 billion settlement company agreed to pay after 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. MORE

Apr. 23, 2013

Halliburton sets aside $637 million to settle some claims from 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; reports first-quarter loss of $13 million, or 1 cent a share, compared with profit of $635 million, or 69 cents a share, in year-ago quarter; revenue rose 1.5 percent to $6.97 billion. MORE

Apr. 21, 2013

Florida files lawsuit against BP and cement contractor Halliburton over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, becoming fourth state to seek damages for the 2010 disaster. MORE

Apr. 20, 2013

Mississippi becomes third state to sue BP over 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill following failed settlement bid. MORE

Apr. 6, 2013

Federal District Judge Carl Barbier in Louisiana rules that BP can proceed with its appeal of way a court-appointed administrator apportions payments for claims related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. MORE

Mar. 20, 2013

Transocean chief Steven L Newman acknowledges in court that his crew should have done more to avert 2010 blowout at Deepwater Horizon oil rig in Gulf of Mexico. MORE

There are no additional abstracts to display.

Tracking the Oil Spill

An updated, interactive graphic tracking the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, including the extent of the spill in the ocean, where oil has made landfall, and the effects on wildlife.

{"type":"article","show_header_text":false,"header":"ARTICLES ABOUT THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL (2010)","query":"(des=\"Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010)\" or ((des=\"Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline\" or des=\"Offshore Drilling and Exploration\") and (des=\"Accidents and Safety\" or body=\"Spill\" or body=\"spilling\" or body=\"spilled\" or hdl=\"Oil Spill\" or des=\"Explosions\") and (geo=\"Gulf of Mexico\" or org=\"BP PLC\" or org=\"Transocean Inc\" or body=\"Transocean\" or body=\"Deepwater Horizon\"))) and tom!=\"Caption\" and tom!=\"Correction\" and tom!=\"List\" and tom!=\"Paid Death Notice\" and dsk!=\"Society\" and fromdate >=\"20100420\"","search_query":"pub_date:[2010-04-20T0:00:00Z TO *] AND ((subject:\"Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill \\(2010\\)\" OR ((subject:\"Oil \\(Petroleum\\) and Gasoline\" OR subject:\"Offshore Drilling and Exploration\") AND (subject:\"Accidents and Safety\" OR body:\"Spill\" OR body:\"spilling\" OR body:\"spilled\" OR headline:\"Oil Spill\" OR subject:\"Explosions\") AND (glocations:\"Gulf of Mexico\" OR organizations:\"BP PLC\" OR organizations:\"Transocean Inc\" OR body:\"Transocean\" OR body:\"Deepwater Horizon\"))) AND -type_of_material:\"Caption\" AND -type_of_material:\"Correction\" AND -type_of_material:\"List\" AND -type_of_material:\"Paid Death Notice\" AND -news_desk:\"Society\")","num_search_articles":"15","show_summary":true,"show_byline":true,"show_pub_date":true,"hide_thumbnails":false,"show_kicker":true,"show_title":false,"show_related_topics":true,"show_rad_links":true,"show_subtopics":false,"exclude_topics":"ACCIDENTS AND SAFETY;GULF OF MEXICO;OIL (PETROLEUM) AND GASOLINE;GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL (2010)","more_on_header":"MORE ON THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL (2010) AND:","alternate_index_subidx":"all.main","show_thumbnails":true}

U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Barbier ruled on Thursday that BP was grossly negligent in the oil rig explosion that killed 11 workers, spilled millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and soiled hundreds of miles of beaches.